"The United States is into the election year and [US President Barack] Obama's decision has been aimed at gaining political mileage," said Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday at a press conference in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore.

The premier’s remarks came a day after Obama ordered a sharp increase in the assassination drone strikes in the tribal areas.
The attacks have soured the ties between Washington and Islamabad.

Since May 23, the strikes have killed over 60 people in the North and South Waziristan tribal areas -- five on May 23, 10 on May 24, four on May 26, 12 on May 28, four on June 2, 10 on June 3, and 16 on June 4.

Pakistani officials condemn the assaults, describing them as flagrant violations of their country’s sovereignty. Washington claims that the attacks target militants, though casualty figures clearly indicate that Pakistani civilians are the main victims of the non-UN-sanctioned acts of aggression.

The UN has called the attacks ‘targeted killings that flout international law.’

Darul Ihsan Media Desk